Portable electronic devices including navigation devices are becoming increasingly more popular. Navigation devices typically include location determining components, such as satellite navigation receivers, and processing elements operable to provide navigation information such as desired routes of travel from current geographic locations to desired geographic locations. Traditionally, electronic devices including navigation devices were configured as single function devices, such as a mobile phone limited to phone service, an audio player limited to playing music, and a navigation device limited to position-determining functionality and so on.
However, as the popularity of portable electronic devices has increased, manufacturers have responded by developing cross-functional devices to provide multiple functions. Thus, enhanced navigation devices may be configured to provide a wide range of functions and applications, only some of which are location-oriented. For instance, a navigation device may provide a combination of position-determining functionality, mobile phone service, Internet capability and so on. Further, a navigation device may be configured to utilize more than one position-determining technique to determine its geographic locations.
When used for navigation activities, it is likely that a navigation device will use the most accurate and current position. Thus, it makes sense at such times to keep the satellite navigation receiver powered up and active since the satellite navigation receiver may be used often during navigation activities. At other times, such as when the navigation device is used for other activities, when the device is used indoors, or while the device is stationary for a long period of time, accurate position information may be less important. However, traditional satellite navigation receivers for navigation devices are configured to continue attempts to obtain position regardless of how and where the device is used, which causes discharge of the battery power at a relatively high rate.